Solarforce 18650 2400mah Li-ions?

[Jimdo]

Hi folks....
I am relatively new to all of this and I was wondering, as many of you are what I would deem experts in this field, what is your opinion of the Solarforce Protected Lithium Ion, 2400 mah, 18650 batteries?
Also, what is an ample charge time on these batteries with a travel charger that reads the following on the back... "Input AC 100V - 240V 50/60 Hz Max 150mA" ... "Output DC 4.2V(8.4V) ---- 600 mAh", assuming the batteries are completely dead.
I do not want to overcharge the batteries due to sheer ignorance on my part, and I would appreciate any and all input in regards to this.
Thanks in Advance.

 

[mdocod]

Haven't had a lot of reports on SolarForce cells so it's hard to say... How do you feel about them so far?

I find it very odd that the charger lists it's output in a unit of measurement that defines a quantity of electrons, rather than a rate of flow....

If it's 600mA per channel (NOT 600mAH?!), then a 2400mAH 18650 cell would take somewhere between 4 and 6 hours to charge, depending on the charge termination method used. This is assuming the label is accurate, and often this is not the case with cheap chargers. So I guess it depends on the charger and what the charging rate actually is.

 

[Jimdo]

Thanks for the info. I thought that it was a rather odd readout as well, but... who knows.
I contacted the manufacturer of the batteries (Solarforce) and they said that the approximate charge time was around 4 to 5 hours on completely dead batteries.
Still though, if any one was any information in regards to the quality of said battery I would really appreciate any and all information.
Thanks Again.

 

[VegasF6]

I can only add that I bought some Solarforce 16340 size cells about 4 months ago. They are protected, and an added bonus is they are quite short, so they fit just fine in the Fenix P3D and other lights that won't accept long cells. I haven't really done any sort of run time test with them, but I can say they come off the charger at nearly identical voltages and I am pretty happy with them.

That doesn't mean the 18650 will be of equal quality, but maybe it helps a little.

I am pretty sure buried in Bessie Benny's budget light thread there was mention of someone buying the un-protected version of the 18650. Frankly, that thread is so long it is very hard to find anything it it :)

*edit* it is possible the batteries in Benny's thread are spiderfire, I can't recall*

 

[Jimdo]

Thanks for the info, VegasF6, anyone else out there know anything about the Solarforce 18650s? I see many.... many... threads about the AW cells... but I never see any mention of these (Solarforce) cells.
C'mon, guys..... I need some insight here.

 

[horizonseeker]

solarforce really only started marketing their own branded 18650 batteries when they released the 18650 bodied L2 set with extension tubes late last year so I wouldn't expect to hear much about them yet.

 

[Black Rose]

I'd like to know as well.

I am considering getting a Solarforce L2 package that also includes a 2400 mAh 18650 cell.

 

[copperfox]

I'd like to know as well.

I am considering getting a Solarforce L2 package that also includes a 2400 mAh 18650 cell.

Same here. :poke:

 

[shark_za]

You cant overcharge them, the protection circuit works both ways from what I can tell.

I am very happy with my SF 18650's, they charge, keep it, and cut off when nearly flat.
All like they are supposed too.

I use them to power a Seraph SP6, my L2 and an 2x 18650 config I drive a Lumens Factory P7 head. All good.

Packaging of the cells is good, the plastic will last a while before tearing.
I use the Solarforce charger too, works well on both mains and 12v car supply, cells don't get hot at the 500mA rate that charges them in about 4-5 hours.


Same sort of performance with the 16340's from Solarforce.
I'd buy them over and over again, you will really need to blow my socks off to show me something is drastically better than these cells.

I saw a graph on CPF somewhere showing the Solarforce 18650's holding their own against other cells and I have no experience to contradict that.

 

[pipspeak]

anyone know if the solarforce charger offers any kind of protection and if it indeed is limited to 4.2V? I don't trust the QC or tolerences of cheap electronics and don't want to fry a battery.

That L2 package deal is great, but only if the charger and battery are any good, otherwise :poof:

 

[Conan]

I just bought a Solarforce 18650 charger and two Solarforce 18650 2400 mAh protected batteries a while ago as they were available in a store locally. I'm charging one of the batteries at the moment. Without any batteries I measured the terminals with a DMM and I got 4.24 volts.

 

[Conan]

Update, the single 18650 that I charged took around 2.5 hours and came off the charger at 4.21 volts. I used the battery in my Fenix TA21 on max brightness for around 5-7 minutes outdoors. Measured the battery voltage again and got 4.18 volts.

 

[jimbo231]

Does solarforce make non protected 18650's. All the ones on ebay don't say anything about protection.

 

[Norm]

Does solarforce make non protected 18650's. All the ones on ebay don't say anything about protection.

Yes
If they don't mention protection, they won't be protected.
Protected batteries

 

[thospress]

There seem to be two versions - one with black lettering against a white background, and one with light blue lettering against a white background. I have and use both versions, find they work as expected (a good thing) and can't tell the difference between the two (although the light blue ones are slightly more expensive). I have never been disappointed with anything from Solarforce and these batteries are no exception.